Apron tension device



y 1932- R. R. SAMUELS 1,860,623

APRQN TENSION DEVICE Filed Dec. 3, 1930 INVENTOR fiVg JZZL f? 5/1/140628 Patented i May 31 1932 nUssE'LLn. SAMUELS, on LCI-IIGAGO; rLLINo MncHmnRY eorrmmv or. cmomn nrsintr Mme Is, .nssrenon :ro irHnAMnRIoAN LAUNDRY Am .osno, .A CORPORATION or .0310 r v EPBON TENSION "DEVICE Application -fi1ed"1)ecember usually. .of canvasan'd pass ifor-a greater poravoid er-a tor woiild slightly :reduee the tension on tioniiof itheir rl'ength' fbelow :the iheated chest or hests must ibe :relireved at Cthe :end of a days run- 01 operation: ofithe ironi-ngimachine or during ithe time "when the 'machine is not .inioperation. Duningtthis shut d'own period the aprons which .are :norma'lly rdamp ctrom contact: with wet rgoods ibecomeldry and :consid'eraiblgy shorter due =ito shrinkage, the :result being that when-tensionzis again applied to rtheaprons onbeginning the operation 0 the :maohine, which tension is made by apparatus normal-lyset to adjust thestension o'f the a prons to ahi gh and low point, 7 the tension is too greatcausing more or less trouble aside iromjdamaging theapronsandproduc- =ing unsatisfactory results. Heretofore, to

this inconvenience; the machine opthe aprons by turning the adjusting screws whereupon; after the machine has been "in operation forsomeitime and the aprons conseqnentl y beoome heated and stretchedythey are too loose. Eli-hen, the operator mustagain resort to the adjusting screws to secure the proper tension on theaprons. 'Sincethis readjnstment o' 'the screws and apron required the time ot-one who is more-or less expert in apron adjustment, the operation of the machine was necessarily delayed, it being impracticable toFhaveeach machine operator -more or less-ex'pert in apron adjustment.

The obj ects 'ofmy invention are to provide a means 'for" automatically adusting the apron tension =thereby obviating t e necessity of adynsting the apron tension by inanua lly operated means at or after eacho eration-o the machine to prevent a ridge or-ifold formingahany point in the apron a and :to provide if of parallel :shatts 3, 1930. Serial no isafroo.

flexible oryyielding-tension onthe aprons which will compensate for shrinkage :or stretchrthereof; 1 1

7 Various other objects and advantageous 'features'of my invention will .be :;seen in "the s following description-and one embodiment thereof may be seenzin the accompanying drawings wherein similar (character-s ofwre'ference designate corresponding: parts, wherein:

Fig. :1 is ext-longitudinal sectional view 10f aniironingimachineiembodyingzmyinvention; "and Fig. '2 is anaenl'arged detail 'viewaof the apron tension adjusting :means apart from 3 the ironing rmachme.

- iRa-eferring to the "drawings, :I have shown an ironing machine of thezu'sua'l typemonsistingiof fourzpaddedarolls 1 mountedrab ove four chests: 2 in such mannemasito contact withithe uppermoncavesurfaces ofzthe chests and the rolls and chestsbeing supported on a suitable f frame .3. The padded rolls :1 :are *rotatably mountediin side frames-4 which are vertically 'ad usted and guided in suitable ways. move nected=to the opposing ends'of the frames the links having their lower ends connected to eccentrics 6 mounted on shafts 7 which are rotated :in :unisonfby means'o all-y or by power means. Withthis construction, it 'willbe seen that rotation of the-shafts Twill cause raising or To 7 ithe frames 4, suitable links 75 are "conf a worm shadt -7 thatzmay,in'turn, be rotated eithermamb lowering of the trames land raising or lowering ofthe'rolls 1 out of orfi-nto contact .Withthe chests 2.

In ;accordance with my invention, a means isprovided for adjustingithe tension of endless aprons 8 and 8 that provide ameansior delivering the work ironed from themachine and pass beneath the .chests2 !for the greater portion oftheir length. This means consists of two triangular iframes i9 mounted at each side of the delivery end of themachine and being pivoted aszat 10;t0- themain :fr-ame f3. The two cornersof the frames 9 remote from the pivots 10 are aprovidedwith.similarzpairs zthat radiate substantially from "the lowermost point of the itrianguilar frame. "Such pairs of shafts and their associated parts are duplicates and hence only one such set will be described.

One of the shafts designated by the numeral 11 is plain or smooth and rigidly mounted at each end of the frame 9 as shown in Fig. 2 while the shaft 12 forming the other shaft of one pair is threaded and rotatably mounted at each end of the frame 9 and is provided with a means consisting of a crank 13 whereby the shaft may be rotated. Two blocks are mounted to travel on the shafts 11 and 12, one block 14 being free to slide on both shafts and the other block being free to slide on the shaft 11 but having athreaded opening therein through which the shaft 12 fits, the shaft 12 being provided with threads 16 for cooperating with the threads in the block 15 to move the block one way or the otherdepending on the direction of rotation of-the shaft 12. The block 14 is spaced a short distance from the block 15 and coiled expanding springs 17 are interposed between the two locks, one spring encircling each of the shafts 11 and 12. v

s shown in the drawings, two of the blocks 14 arranged on opposite sides of the machine support a shaft roller 18 and the other set of blocks 14 support a shaft roller 19. The roller 18 is an idler over which the upper lap of the delivery apron 8 travels and the roller 19 is an idler over which the delivcry a ron 8' travels.

e ivery apron 8 passes from the roller 18 down about the rear rounded end of the rearwardmost chest 2, thence forward against the lower sides of all four chests 2, thence about the live or driven roller 20, thence rear- ,wardly under idler rollers 21 and 22, thence on an incline upwardly about an idler roller 23 and thence forwardly again over the idler roller 18. The apron 8 passes from the roller 19 on a decline and under an idler roller 24, thenceforwardly under idler rollers 25 and 26, thence upwardy about a live or driven roller 27, thence downwardly on the apron 8 and about the live or driven roller 20, and thence rearwardly with the apron 8 below the idler rollers 21 and 22 and thence on an incline rearwardly to and around idler roller 19. Thus, it will be seen that the aprons 8 and 8' travel parallel to and in contact with each other for substantially the combined length of the chests 2.

.To' provide a means for increasing or decreasing the tension on the endless aprons 8 and 8', one of the shafts 7 at the delivery end of the machine has two large cams 28 rigidly mounted thereon to rotatetherewith which cooperate with the rollers 29 mounted on the triangular frames 9 that are pivoted as at 10 on the main frame 3. With this construction, it will be seen that when the shafts 7 are rotated to raise or lower the frames 4 and rolls 1 supported thereby, the frames 9 will be correspondingly raised or lowered to increase or reduce the tension on the endless aprons 8 and 8. However, it will be noted that the high point of the cams 28 which, when in contact with the rollers 29, causes the frames 9 to be in their uppermost position with the endless aprons 8 and 8 under tension is directly opposite to the high points on the eccentrics 6 which, when in their uppermost position cause the rolls 1 to be raised away from the chests 2. In other words, the hight points of the cams and eccentrics are directly opposite each other relative to the shafts 7. Thus, when the rolls 1 are in engagement with the chests 2 as shown in Fig. 1, the frames 9 will be in their raised position to place the aprons 8 and 8 under tension. In a like manner, when the eccentrics 6 are in such position as to raise the rolls 1 from the chests 2, the rollers 29 are in contact with the lower points of the cams 28 which will permit the frames 9 to lower and relieve the tension on the endless aprons 8 and 8.

In the operation of this device, when the machine is first set for operation, the frames 9 are moved to their uppermost position as shown in Fig. 1 by rotating the shafts 7 to bring the rolls 1 into engagement with the chests 2 at which time the screw shafts 12 are turned to secure the proper tension on the aprons. After such desired tension is obtained, the machine is operated through a period of time which may be a days run and then the tension on the aprons is relieved in the manner hereinbefore described simultaneously with movement of the rolls out of en agement with the chest. Also, as hereinbef ore stated, when tension is again placed on the aprons prior to operation of the machine, the aprons are considerably shorter because of shrinkage thereof in drying but the shortened condition of the aprons is compensated. for by further compression of the springs 17, the springs having been somewhat compressed in turning the shaft 12 to obtain the proper first tension on the endless aprons. In a like manner, as the machine has been operated, the aprons become heated and moist which causes them to stretch as hereinbefore described and such stretching of the aprons in no way interrupts the operation of the machine because the springs 17 will again exert the proper tension on the aprons by moving the blocks 14 and idler rollers carried thereby upwardly to take up any stretch of the aprons. It will be understood that the springs 17 are of sufficient length and strength to at all times compensate for the greatest amount of shrinkage or stretch that will take place in the aprons and that the length of springs and the shafts on which they are mounted may be various in length of aprons used.

Referring to the drawings and the precedmg description, it will be seen that I have provided a device embodying numerous novel and advantageous features. One of these features resides in the fact that the endless aprons may be adjusted to obtain the proper tension thereon prior to the beginning operation of the machine and need not hereafter be adjusted since any slack due to stretch or any shrinkage will be compensated for by the resilient means provided. Another feature resides in the fact that means have been provided for automatically increasing or decreasing the tension on the aprons in synchronism with the movement of the ironing rolls into or out of engagement with the ironing chests which movement is caused to take place prior to the beginning of and at the end of a days run or ironing operation, It willbe readily apparent that such combination of features is highly advantageous and desirable and will eliminate in a large measure if not entirely the necessity of manual adj ustment after the ironing operation has been started by the manipulation of various adjustment screws manually and the wear and injury to endless aprons due to the beginning of an ironing operation while the aprons are in a shrunk condition and too tight on the rolls around which they travel. As in most ironing machines, the goods ironed is delivered onto the endless apron 8 and passes between such aprons and lower side of the ironing chest to a position between'the endless aprons 8 and 8 and is thus carried between such aprons to the point of delivery.

What I claim is:

1. An ironing machine comprising a frame, ironing members carried by said frame including ironing chests and ironing rolls, means for moving said rolls into and out of ironing relation with said chests, a delivery apron, a movable bracket having rollers thereon about which said apron travels, said bracket being movable to release position for relieving the tension of said apron and movable into position to bring said apron into operative relation with said ironing members, means carried by said bracket for adjusting the tension of said apron including two blocks one of which is freely movable relative to the other and is provided with one of said rollers about which said apron passes, resilient means interposed between said blocks tending to move said freely moving block away from said other block, and positive means for moving said other block to vary the force exerted on said freely moving block by said resilient means, said resilient means being effective to permit movement of said freely moving block to vary the tension in said apron automatically in accordance with contraction and expansion of the apron. v

2. An ironing machine comprising a frame, ironing members carried by said frame including ironingv chests and ironing rolls, means for moving said rolls into and out of ironing relation with said chests, a delivery apron, a movable bracket having rollers thereon about which said apron travels, said bracket being movable to release position for relieving the tension of said apron and movable into position to bring said apron into operative relatlon with said ironing members, means for moving said bracket in synchronism with the movement of said ironing rolls, means carried by said bracket for adjusting the tension of said apron including two blocks one of which is freely movable relative to the other and is provided with one of said rollers about which said apron passes, resilient means interposed between said blocks tending to move said freely moving block away from said other block, and positive means for moving said other block to vary the force exerted on said freely moving block by said resilient means, said resilient means being effective to permit movement of said freely moving block to vary the tension in said apron automatically in accordance with contraction and expansion of the apron.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

RUSSELL R. SAMUELS. 

